Quote: In 1888, George Washington Vanderbilt II visited the Great Smokey Mountains of North Carolina and it was there that the state and his family were forever linked. The Vanderbilts are closely associated with wealth and success due primarily to the family’s patriarch Cornelius Vanderbilt, the third wealthiest person in history. George Vanderbilt had no interest in the family business and instead decided to spend his money on a lavish estate in Asheville, NC. He originally purchased 8,000 acres of land and continued buying until the estate surpassed 228 square miles.

The Biltmore House, a tourist attraction, is the largest home in the United States, at 175,000 square feet. The home contains 250 different rooms that include 35 guest rooms, 43 bathrooms, 3 kitchens, and 65 fireplaces. George Vanderbilt had many other amenities that were not so common in his day such as; 70,000 gallon swimming pool, which could Olympic size by today’s standards, a two lane bowling alley, two-story library containing over 10,000 volumes, and an elevator. He foresaw the need for fire alarms, forced-air heating, and centrally-controlled clocks that would not be common in most homes for decades. The house also contains many priceless artifacts as the home as been left intact from when the doors first opened on Christmas Eve in 1895 to when it became a museum to the public in 1956.

This is not just a typical tour of an everyday home in America, it is an experience that can not be put into words, or pictures, for that matter, and no matter how many times people have tried. My first glimpse of this magnificent mansion was as I exited the wood line from the trail leading from the parking area. The long road leading up to the front door brought thoughts of George Vanderbilt riding in his horse carriage, probably not realizing that his home would forever have a place in history. The French Renaissance chateau looked even more awe-inspiring with the Blue Ridge Mountains towering in the background. What better place to have your summer home while enjoying tea and admiring nature’s beauty.

The Biltmore grounds are just as impressive as the house. The gardens were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. The highlight of the gardens is the All American Rose Garden which features over 250 varieties of roses. The winery offers tours and a free wine tasting. There is an equestrian center on the grounds, as well biking and hiking trails. Tours can be arranged for river rafting; fly-fishing lessons, or learn to drive a Range Rover off-road.

Since a stay at the Biltmore is impossible, the next best thing is the Inn on the Biltmore Estate. It is the closest you can get to staying at the Biltmore. The estate also has its own shopping center and restaurants.

Tickets are cheaper if bought online than at the gate. Depending on the month you go tickets range from $25 to $55. It is well worth it for everything you get to experience.

From journals Romantic Getaway in the Great Smokies

Quote: During our vacation to the Gatlinburg area, we put aside a day to go to Asheville, NC to visit the famous Biltmore Estates, located about 2.5 hours from Gatlinburg. I must say the drive there was picturesque to say the least with mountains on each sides of the road most of the way.

I will preface by saying to try and get discount tickets either from a website or from eBay. We did that and saved about 15 bucks per ticket which are quite expensive.

The parking area is quite a walk to the actually estates, however, the walk through the nature trails are very serene and open up to a glorious view of the entire front area of Biltmore Estates. It's a perfect photo op.

The actually mansion itself has a self guided tour by way of a headset or you can read the many plaques throughout each room describing its story. The place was truly majestic and very elegant to say the least. The tour is laid out nicely and will take about 2 hours or so to tour the entire area. I will warn those with small children that it is all steps so strollers will cause you to use your arm muscles to carry up and down the spiral staircases. They do have an old, small elevator, however, they were not always monitored by employees.

They also have an attached courtyard with gift shops, a restaurant, and a small food stand selling hot dogs, and sausages along with chips and sodas. The restaurant was packed and the food court had limited seating with a large crowd gathering. I was somewhat disappointed in the eating area. We had to wait for 30 minutes until a table opened and it was ballpark prices on the food as well.

After lunch we proceeded down to the Winery which was about another 1 mile drive from the estate. The winery was a pleasant surprise and very calming compared to the hustle and bustle of the entrance to the mansion itself. We were able to taste several of the Biltmore wines and take home a bottle or two for ourselves. The employees at the winery were extremely nice and even gave us tips of what to see on the way back to Gatlinburg.

We were lucky enough to visit Biltmore during the opening of a small petting zoo. The kids loved to see and pet a variety of animals from horses to sheep. And the people there were more than happy to talk about the animals and allow us to pet and interact with all of them.

As we left Biltmore I was torn about my experience. It certainly is a place to witness in person, however, it is not something I would go back again and again to see. As with all places, there could be improvements: Lower ticket prices, more seating, and better selection/price of lunch items.
From journals Gatlinburg Worth the Drive

Quote: This home is one of the most remarkable homes I've ever seen. We started off our tour by buying the audio tours. I believe they were around $10 each. We really enjoyed these. My children, a boy 14 years old and a girl 11 years old also enjoyed the tour. The audio with headphones lets you start and stop the tour at your leisure. The descriptions and music were professionally done and I don't think we would have enjoyed it or learned as much as we did without the headphones. The home takes up 4 acres and the estate has 8000 acres. It takes about 3 hours to tour the house at a fair pace. The grounds can take days. You are allowed to see about 60 of the rooms and they are all spectacular. The grounds and terraces are all professionally maintained. Leave enough time to really take long walks along the gardens, along the lake and through the woods. It is such a wonderful glimpse into the life of the ultra wealthy.
From journals Biltmore Estate

Quote: Of course, you can't visit Asheville without a stop at the Biltmore Estate. This was the reason we visited the area, and we planned to go during the annual winter Candlelight Christmas Evenings at the Biltmore. What a sight to behold...luminaries lining the extensive driveway and hundreds of Christmas trees, wreaths, and decorations throughout the estate. The evening tours are romantic and breathtaking with thousands of candles and Christmas lights and warmed by fires in almost each room. Tickets range from $35 to 65 for adults ($17.50-32.50 children) depending on the dates and package you choose. We opted for the middle package which includes the evening house tour, and a daytime grounds visit. We used the day to explore the gardens, winery, restaurants, and farm village which can be an all day affair. We had enough time to go to our bed and breakfast to change and come back for our scheduled entry time to the house. Be sure to book tickets in advance, because this event does sell out—and don't forget to include a dinner reservation at one of the world-renowned Estate restaurants for after your tour! We enjoyed a wonderful meal at the Stable Cafe, a lunch cafe which opens for dinner during the Candlelight tours, and offers upscale cuisine at a reasonable price.

There is much to say about the grounds of the estate as well. We enjoyed hours of exploring the gardens, greenhouse, orchid room, lakes, nature trails, and fields. Be sure to look for wildlife including deer, birds, raccoons, and the occasional wildcat. Even though it was winter when we visited, and most of the plants and trees were bare, the vines and branches had an artful look among the statues and gargoyles that watch over the house. If you have a chance to go in the spring, I've heard the blooms are amazing!
From journals Asheville in Winter